Axle box



March 3, 3931. H. s. VINCENT AXLE BOX Filed Dec.

' Patented Mar. 3, 1931 HARRY s. VINCENT, ornrnenwoon, NEW JERSEY AXLE BOX Ap ncanonmeag December 22, 1925. Serial No. 77,057.

j invention relates to vehicleaxle journal boxes, and is especially welladapted for the driving boxes of locomotives. The 'in-.

.ventionfis especially concerned with axle boxes of the general type shown 'in my application, Serial No 548,939, 'filed April 3, 1922. aim to facilitate maintenance and repair of such boxes, esp'ecially as regardsthe wearing surfaces of theirfbearings. I also '10 to obviate or minimize any tendency toward spreading of (the b'o xfside's. 1 How 'these and other advantages can b'e' realized through embodying myinventionin place in the pedestallof a locomotive side"frame, the View being taken from thefinner' side of the box (i. e.,-the side toward the {other side frame of the locomotive).' I y Fig.- 2 is a-fragme'ntaryview showing the bearing in vertical axial section as indicated by the line 2- 2 in Figzfll.

. The box showni h drawings comprises a. box structurelO having at its sides or limbs 11 and 12 the usual flanges 13, providing grooves. The pedestal jaws 14 of the'locomotive frame engage in these groovesfand'serve as guideways for up andldownmovement of the whole'journal box. The box structure 10 is of a generalyoke or U shape; but instead 0t being inverted (asin the usualprior constructions), the U is arranged erect (right,

side. up) about the axle '15,. with the transverse member '16 a short distance beneath the axle. The structure 10 is supported byjbeing suspended (as it were) from the'separate bearing generally and comprehensively 'd esi gnated as 17, which rests on the axle 15 be tween theside members 11,12;

As thus far described the construction substantially like that shown in :my abovementioned application Serial No. 5 4"8,939.

As illustratedgand described irif my said application; thebbearingf l'z is; one single part, remova bl e only as'su'ch,'andrequiring 56 to be replaced in its entirety if damaged or upwardwedge action is avoided.

worn so. as tobe incapable of repair.. In accordance with mypresent inventiom I divide the bear ng 17 into a crown piece 18 indirect i contact withthe axlel5, and a backingpiece or retainer 19.thereabove. '[This division is preferably along a circular are substantially concentric with the bearingv surface 01: the part 19. Preferably the abutting cylindrical surfaces ofthese parts 18 and 19 are provided with engagement means for: preventing movement or. shifting of either relatively'to the. other lengthwise of theaxle 15; as shown the crown piece 18 has-a broad, shallow groove 20 extending; circumferentially around (its;

- exterior,-and,theibacking piece 19 hasacor- I responding ridge 21: accurately fittingbe-mtween the edges of the groove'.. [If desired, the. bearing piece 18 may beef brass, or of duralumin'or other light metal andlfaced Y with babbit; while the back piece 19 may be to ofsteelto afford strength, Shoulders 22 tend inward from either side 11 12..of"the box structure 10 a't its upper end, and the backing. has corresponding shoulders 23 which cooperate with the shoulders 22 in the support: Ofthe box structurelfi by the bean .ingl'ZfThelparts 18 and 19 are of such general width as to fit (snugly but, not tightly)j between the sides 11, 12 below the shoulders 22, while the upperp'ortion of the part'l9. is of such reduced width as to fit (snugly but inojttightly) in the opening be tweenthe shoulders 22; i. e, the. bearing corresponds substantially. to the internal width of the box .10., Owing to the entire absence of lateral enlargement of the parts 18, i

19 b elowitheshoulders23, any tendency ofthese partstospread the box sides 11. 121w I 7 At the lower end ofthe part 18 otthe bearing 17. on either side, is a central downward-projecting lug24; adapted to engage and fitsnugly in a recess 25 in the ridge 26 on the corresponding side member of thebox structure 10, so as to prevent movement of the bearing 17 3 in the, box structure lengthwise of the axle 1 5. Removable tapering pin or key members 2'? engagedbetween the shoulders 22 and 23 normallywedge thebearing 17 fast in the box structure 10, maintaining the lower ends LN) of the part 18 firmly seated against shoulders formed by the upper sides of the ridges 26, with the lugs 21 engaged in the recesses '25. As shown in Fig. 1, the cooperating shoulders 22, 23 of box and bearing slope upward and outward away from the axle, so that under the pressure on them they cooperate (through the interposed correspondingly surfaced keys or Wedges 27) to hold the box sides 11 and 12 together as against any spreading tendency.

The keys or wedges 27 may be powerfully forced home and held in place by tightening up nuts 28 on bolts 29 that extend through laterally projecting apertured lugs 30 on the ends of the wedges. Th e heads-31 of the bolts 29 lie in undercut recesses at the inner "ends of grooves in the side membersll, 12

- driver wheel hub (not shown) and takingthe side or end thrust from the'wheel. Below the axle 15, the lateral bearing'is afforded by a transverse flange or web 35 integral with theqbox sides 11, 12 and its bottom '16, and

forming an end wall for the space inside the box.

In the box 10-, between its bottom 16 and the axle 15, is a sheet metallubricator device or cellar 40, shown as of the general Elvin type. This cellar 10 has a perforated lubrieating plate 41, curved in conformity to the axle 15, with its'ends bent outward to engage beneath inturned flanges 12: at the upper edges of the box sides, and a follower plates?) for sustaining a superj acent grease cake against the plate 41. This follower plate 13 is urged upward toward the axle 15 (and the lubricating plate 11) by a spiral compression spring 4 1 beneath it, acting against thebox bottom 16, which may be recessed at to accommodate the spring. Preferably, the sides and bottom of the box 10 are recessed to form transverse ridges or ways 45, 17, 48 adjacent the to and the bottom of the cellar 10. These ways keep the cellar in adefinite position, yet offer little frictional resistance to its insertion or withdrawal at the open inner end of the box. The cellar 40 may be secured in place. by means of a horizontal retainer bar or pin extending through apertured lugs 56 on the members 11, 12, and itself secured by one or more keys 57.

In order to remove the crown bearing 17 from the journal box 10. it is only necessary to relievethe bearing of the spring tension and lift the spring saddle (not shown) out of engagement with the recesses 32, 32, withdraw the wedges 27, and drop the box sufiic-iently to disengage the bearing 17 therefrom at 24;, 25. Having been disengaged from the box 10 by vertical displacement therein as ust described, the bearing 17 may be removed from the box by simply moving the bearing endwise of the axle 15 WVhen the box struc ture 101s to be removed from the locomotive frame in order that its hub face may be relined (or for any other reason), it is only necessary to remove the bearing 17 as ust described, drop the frame pedestal binder 1& so as to open the lower ends of the guideways 1' 1, and allow the box structure 10 to slide or drop down from the axle 15,-the opening between the shoulders 22, 22at the upper end of the box'structure being of width suflicient. to pass the shaft readily,though ofless width than the bearing 17 as a whole. 1 I

VVith the bearing 17 in two parts 18, 19 as above descr1bed,- it is easier to handle and much less expensive, because the backing or fretaii'i'er 19 can be of cast steel, and onl the i 1th the bearing 17 allone part, as in my crown piece 18 need'be'of bronze. Accordingly, the periodic rebabbiting of the bearing surface is greatly facilitated; and either of the parts 18, 19 is much less expensive to replace (whenoccasion arises) than a one-piece hearing 17 all of bronze would be. There s no sacrifice of strength'in the divided bear- 11, either as regards its function of spreader to prevent pinching in of the box sides 11, oras tie to hold the sides to-: gether against any spreading tendency (due to the tendency of the bearing to turn with the axle, for, example) on the contrary, the strength is ifva'nything' rather augmented, because ofthe useof steel in the retainer 18. l/V th, respect to these functions of the reta ner 18,'indeed,; it may be regarded as virtually part of the box structure rather than as a bearing part.

i 1. it yehicle axle journal box construction comprising anupward-open yoke-shaped box with downward and inward-sloping lateral shoulders, and a bearing resting on the axle having means engaging said bearing to prevent axial displacementthereof and; said bearing having meansengaging said retainer to prevent axial displacement of the retainer.

3. A vehicle axle journal box construction including a box structure with a laterally shouldered opening at its upper end of width sufiicient to pass the axle; an axle bearing structure in said box structure of greater width than said opening including a backing. member anda bearing member, both of said members being removable from the box struc- I ture by movement lengthwise of the axle; and means for normally preventing such move ment.

4. Avehicle axle journal box construction including a box structure with a laterally shouldered opening at its upper end of width sufiicient to pass the axle; and an axle bearing structure in the box structure of greater width than said opening including a backing member and a bearing member, said members hein g' removable from the box structure by movement lengthwise of the axle, said bearing member being normally kept from such lengthwise movement by engagement with the box structure, but being 'displaceable verti cally in the latter to disengage it and permit its removal as aforesaid.

'5. A vehicle axle journal box construction including a box structure with a laterally shouldered opening at its upper end of width sufficient to pass the axle; an axle bearings structure in the box structure of greater width than said opening including a backing memher and a'bearing member, said members being removable from the box structure by movement lengthwise of the axle, said hearing member being normallykept from such lengthwise movement by engagement with the box structure, but being di-splaceable vertically in the latter to disengage it and permit its removal as aforesaid; and interengagement means on said bearing and backing members normally preventing relative'axial displacement thereof.

6. A vehicle axle journalbox construction including a box structure with a laterally shouldered opening at its upper end of width sufiicient to pass the axle; a bearing structure in the box structure of width. greater than said opening including a laterally shouldered backing member and a bearing member, both of said members being removable by movement lengthwise ofthc axle,'.said bearing 7 member being normally vkept from such lengthwise movement by engagement with the box structure, but being displaceable versufiiciont to pass the axle; a bearing structure in the box structure of width greater than said'opening including a laterally shouldered backing member and a bearing member, both of said members bein removable byzmovement lengthwise 'of t e axle, said bearing member being normally kept from such lengthwise movement by engagement with the box'structure', but being displaceable vertically in the latter'to disengage it and permit its removal aforesaid; a removable member normally engaged between the aforesaid shoulders of said box structure and'of sald backing member to preventthe aforesaid dis 

